In Their Essence
by Scar of Mine
Summary: What if the one thing our heros had that made them who they were was suddenly stripped from them? Short little one-shot, rated T for turtle. May continue.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own the turtles.**

**Leo: You own me.**

**Me: Ya… *looks at his ring* you're kinda right. But for copy right purposes, you're not mine. **

**Leo: *sighs* oh well close enough**

If this wasn't hell, he didn't know what was. The lair was quiet, too freaking quiet, and even he couldn't move the gray cloud that hung over the lair. He wished he could break the silence. He wished he could hear himself speak again. He could turn on the TV but that would just be empty noise as well. It was so unnatural.

He wished he could hear Donnie in his lab working on his newest gizmo. Unfortunately, the lab had a thick lair of dust and a general smell of stale unused. He gazed sadly at the door. Donnie would never again come out those doors yelling about some amazing invention. Donnie would never sit silently in the corner curled up with blue prints or a big book while his older brothers fought. He'd never be greeted with a small, caffeine supplied 'hello' from the purple clad turtle on the computer. Donatello, in his essence, was gone.

He looked at Raphael's punching bag. It just hung silently from its post, not a punch to be found. It would take Raph a long time before he would learn to hit his bag again, if he ever did. Raphael would never again be able to go topside by himself. Raph would never be able to go biking or go to the movies either. Not to mention no more wrestling matches against Casey or yelling matches against Leo. He'd never be chased throughout the lair again by his red banded brother. Raphael, in his essence, was no more.

He finally stepped into the dojo. There were no sounds, no Leo doing katas. Sure, Leonardo could still do katas but it was not the same. Leonardo would never again be able to run across the roof tops by himself, alert for any enemies nearby. Leonardo would never be able to protect his brothers in battle or come to their aide ever again. Leo would no longer listen to his father's teachings, or be the top student in everything. He would no longer be able to bug his brother as his blue banded brother perfected his concentration. Leonardo, in his essence, was never to be again.

Michelangelo dropped to his knees. He couldn't take it much longer. This was no longer their home. Yes, they were all still alive, and yes Splinter was still here. But he wished he was dead. He would no longer be able to tell jokes to his loving brothers, or get obnoxious while playing with his favorite video games and action figures. Splinter had no idea what to do with them. They were broken beyond repair this time. Because just like his brothers before him; Michelangelo, in his essence, was dead.

**Can you tell me what happened to the turtles? The first one to get it can have a free one shot on any topic involving the turtles except a Mary Sue love story. Give me a prompt people. Anyway good luck.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey ya'll second and final chapter up and running. Life's been going better, still missing my ex and wishing I didn't but say amore. **

**I don't own TMNT, I may be close knit into the family but I don't own them. Leo can own me though. :3**

Splinter walked out of the dojo quietly, his heart in pieces. His sons, his precious children, had each been hurt in a way that took away the very essence of them. They had been hurt before, almost killed, but Splinter wondered if it would not have been better if they had been killed this time. Karai and Bishop had teamed up, and in sixty short minutes, had his sons captured, tortured, then released. Splinter had been ecstatic when his boys had "escaped", until he saw the results.

Splinter then saw his youngest son standing by the dojo, and it's like his heart broke into even smaller pieces. Michelangelo, his son whose voice could fill a thousand rooms with its volume, whose laughter was so contagious it even had Raphael and Leonardo laughing at times, whose sheer delight in speaking and having his thoughts known and cheering people up was rivaled by no one, would never speak again. Splinter would never hear his most energetic son's contagious laugh or hear him screaming in terror as his red banded brother chased him. All that was left was an empty shell of his son, no longer able to laugh or speak or scream or joke. Michelangelo has had his voice box ripped out, and without it, in his essence, he was dead.

Splinter watched as his son went upstairs to his room, oblivious to his sensei standing there. Splinter sighed and went up to the second level to his next eldest son's room. This was the one that really was a killer. Donatello was sitting in bed playing with a big, rubber, child's ball and making garbled noises. Splinter smiled sadly as Donatello waved childishly at him and went back to his ball. He would never again see his son's face in triumph after creating something new. Donatello's intelligence was second to none, his ability to learn anything and everything in just a few quick glances, whose technological skills kept everything running smoothly at the lair. Donatello has had his cerebellum taken out, and without it, in his essence, he was gone.

Splinter then walked to his second oldest son's room. Raphael was lying in his hammock, staring unseeingly at the far wall. Raphael, the most passionate of his brothers, had been forced into a strange new world. Never again would Splinter see the look of joy that crossed Raphael's face when he road that dreaded motorcycle. As much as it worried him, he knew that that was one of Raphael's most favorite past times. As was watching wrestling and other sports, which Raph would never be able to watch again. To protect his brothers, the red banded turtle had always relied on his sense of sight to guide him. Raphael had been blinded, and without his sight, in his essence, he was no more.

Splinter walked on as he heard a snore erupt from the second oldest and went into his eldest son's room. Leonardo was sitting on the floor in lotus position with his eyes shut. The "fearless leader" (yes, Splinter was quite aware of the nickname) was trying desperately to keep himself together. Leonardo had always watched over his brothers, and while his sight had not been taken like Raphael, he was probably even more defenseless than his younger brother. Never again would Leonardo be first to awake, or the one to give instructions, never mind follow them. Leonardo had been made deaf, and without his hearing, in his essence, he was never to be again.

**Ok…so not my best work. I'm not too thrilled with it but oh well. I'd love some constructive criticism, but please no whiney flames. Seriously, you don't like what I write just don't read it ok?**

**Oh and by the way, Kitty (anonymous reviewer), *innocent look* I'd never do anything like that… except when I'm feeling evil and violent which is 90% of the time. :D**

**Karlina101, you weren't very detailed but as you can see you were really close…give me a prompt *challenge considered***

**Yugi's sister death, MerlinStar, and Guest, sorry but none of them died. Good guesses though.**

**EpicThunder101, you were really close too besides the death thing. I really didn't mean it to be similar to SAINW but looking back I can see it. Give me a prompt *second challenge considered***

**Jaddis, creative idea but I doubt that'd take away their essence unless Raph and Leo were less…umm "endowed" than before *giggles*.**

**Juanita27, another really creative idea… That's interesting and you should write a story involving that if you can think of one :3.**

**Thank ya'll for reviewing so much! R&R this time please!**


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